Weight loss is a very important goal for many people. A variety of factors determine your weight such as what you eat and your activity level. However, it’s also determined by the social influence on eating, or how the people around you impact your eating patterns and weight loss. This means that you are likely to be the same size as your friends and families. Let's explore the impact of social influence on eating in more detail.
You can't underestimate the social influence on eating. When you eat with others, your eating habits, how much you eat, and what you eat will likely change. Eating behaviors are influenced by a variety of factors in a social setting. This includes the behavior of others, cultural expectations, and environmental cues. Changing your eating behavior to match others is adaptive. It’s a form of social bonding that encourages social acceptance. What this means is that you will automatically copy how other people eat, how much they eat, and what they eat. This holds important implications for any weight loss efforts. And it’s even more important to understand if you’re trying to maintain a healthy diet but you are failing.
If your friends and family eat a healthy diet and maintain a healthy weight range, you’re much more likely to do the same. Unfortunately, the reverse is also true. Evidence suggests that the social influence on eating plays an important role in the development and maintenance of obesity. NIH’s National Institute on Aging funded a study on the effects of social influence on eating. The researchers found that the likelihood of becoming obese increased by almost 57 percent when a participant’s close friend became obese. If the friend was of the same gender, that risk increased to 71 percent. Additionally, an obese sibling increased the risk of obesity by 40 percent. And an obese spouse increased the risk of obesity in the other spouse by 37 percent.
Amongst high school friends, the result was the same. Students who had overweight friends were more likely to gain weight. And the reverse was true as well. Students who had friends who were thinner than they were tended to get thinner or gain weight at a slower pace. The exact mechanisms behind these effects aren’t known. However, it’s clear that relationships strongly influence eating and weight gain. And this should be a consideration if you’re trying to lose weight in general or because of adrenal fatigue.
The inability to lose weight is a very common symptom of Adrenal Fatigue Syndrome (AFS). That's why the social influence on eating can be so important with this disorder. This struggle is often caused by a variety of factors including sugar cravings, low metabolism, and low energy that makes exercise difficult and pushes people to reach for unhealthy food choices. Stress can also be an important cause of weight gain. When you’re stressed, reaching for comfort foods can seem like a good way to soothe yourself and this can lead to weight gain. AFS occurs when you’re under stress over a prolonged period, which is why people with this disorder often struggle to maintain a healthy weight.
Your body is designed to cope with low levels of stress. The NeuroEndoMetabolic (NEM) stress response activates when you’re under stress. It generates changes in your body in response to stress and to prepare you to react to the source of that stress. The adrenal glands are the control center for this response because they excrete cortisol along with other hormones that are essential during times of stress. But when stress becomes chronic, the adrenals can become fatigued. This will set off a cascade of problems throughout your body as other systems and circuits become dysregulated in response.
Imbalances in the Neuroaffect Circuit can cause a range of troubling problems and symptoms. This system consists of the microbiome, the brain, and the autonomic nervous system (ANS). This gut-brain-autonomic nervous system triad becomes involved early in the stages of AFS and is strongly linked to weight problems. Some of the ways that imbalances in this circuit can affect your response to the social influence on eating include:
Your emotional state is an important influence on your willpower and your eating habits. Unfortunately, high levels of stress hormones can affect the parts of the brain that regulate emotional response. This means that you may experience inappropriate emotional responses or experience distorted perceptions of the world. So, when you’re confronted with people who exert social influence on you, you may not have the emotional strength to resist them.
As cortisol rises it causes a rise in epinephrine levels. This increases excitation throughout your body and can lead to sleep interruptions or sleeplessness. Lack of sleep means a lack of energy, which can lead to overeating to compensate. A lack of sleep can also lead to poor impulse control, which may impair your normal reactions to the social influence on eating. This may make you more likely to copy the poor habits of others.
Gut problems are a very common symptom of AFS and imbalances in the Neuroaffect Circuit. As health degenerates and symptoms appear, the microbiome can become unbalanced. This can lead to infections, overgrowth of bad bacteria, digestive difficulties and poor absorption of nutrients. These can all lead to weight gain and difficulty losing excess weight.
The three systems in this circuit are all closely linked, so as one area becomes unhealthy, the others will also improve. This could not only cause you to gain extra weight, but it may also make you more susceptible to the bad habits of those around you. This is why you need to be aware of, and prepared to counter any negative social influence on eating if you’re concerned about your weight. If you are suffering from AFS, be sure to consult with an expert who can guide you in your weight loss efforts. But, depending on where you are in your recovery, it may not be the right time to change your diet.
You need to consider all the relevant factors if you’re struggling with your weight because of AFS or other issues. The social influence on eating isn’t often discussed, but it’s an overwhelmingly important factor. If you see certain friends or family members, you may find yourself adopting the same behaviors and developing a weight problem. Here's how to start overcoming this issue:
Trying to break free of social pressures so you can lose weight can be very difficult. If you need more support, then click here to talk to one of our team or give us a call on +1 (626) 571-1234.
The impact of social influence on eating can’t be underestimated. Who you spend your time with, what they eat, and the lifestyle they lead will influence your own diet and lifestyle. Therefore, if you want to lose weight, you need to carefully look at your circle of family and friends.
